Regional Briefs: Dec. 12

Officers blocked off a portion of Roseglen Street Tuesday searching for a man they suspect was involved in an armed robbery of a local liquor store last month, police said.

They were still looking as of 5:47 p.m.

The incident started around 2 p.m. Tuesday.

El Monte police Sgt. Roger Cobian said officers went to check a residence in the 11700 block of Roseglen Street after receiving information the suspect was at the home. But the man fled.

"He was actually going through yards, but luckily we already had a perimeter established," Cobian said.

Authorities believe that the suspect is still within the perimeter and they have evacuated some nearby residents and have also blocked Roseglen Street, between Peck Road and La Madera Avenue, he said.

The man may be armed, Cobian said.

The SWAT team, the department's helicopter and a police dog were also on scene.

GLENDORA

Pantless driver in a tan Honda wanted by police

Glendora police are looking for a driver wearing only a shirt who exposed himself to a pedestrian Tuesday afternoon.

Lt. Jamie Caldwell said the driver pulled up next to a woman who was walking on Barranca Avenue across from Citrus College around 1:45 p.m.

Caldwell said the driver did something or said something to attract the pedestrian's attention.

She saw the driver wearing nothing below his shirt, according to the lieutenant.

The suspect was described as a black man in his late 20s in a light-colored T-shirt. He was driving a tan Honda.

GLENDORA

Suspect runs after crashing stolen car

A man fleeing in a stolen car struck another vehicle head on then tried to elude authorities Tuesday.

A man was injured in the collision.

Glendora police, who assisted deputies with the search, believe the suspect broke into a house and was hunkered down there Tuesday night.

About 3:45 p.m. a deputy tried to stop a car at Mauna Loa and Pennsylvania avenues in Glendora. Glendora Police Lt. Jamie Caldwell said the car, a Lexus, was reported stolen out of Pomona and had paper plates.

Caldwell said the Lexus collided head-on with a compact car.

The Lexus' driver abandoned his passenger, the car and took off.

The driver of the compact car suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital as a precaution, Caldwell said.

The suspect was described as Latino, 5 feet 10 inches tall and of medium build. He was wearing a blue shirt that was later found in a backyard, Caldwell said.

He said the suspect was last seen getting into a backyard in the 200 block of West Colorado Avenue. He believes the man got inside the house.

TEMPLE CITY

Broken sprinkler leads to grocery store closure

A local Ralphs grocery store is closed due to flooding caused by a broken sprinkler head, according to fire officials and a Temple City resident.

The resident who drove by the store, located at 9470 Las Tunas Drive, found the parking lot wet and a sign on the door said "closed due to water damage."

Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Mike Divan said it took five firefighters roughly 10 minutes Tuesday afternoon to shut the sprinkler system off and help mop up some of the mess.

LA HABRA

House fire sends one to hospital

One person was transported to a local hospital due to smoke inhalation after a La Habra house fire on Tuesday.

La Habra police officers responded to a call regarding a structure fire at 7:13 a.m. in the 1300 block of S. Ironwood Street.

"Upon arrival, we found a residence fully engulfed in flames and two female adults were able to get out of the house," Sgt. Jeff Baylos said.

Baylos said one victim was holding a cat, which he believed was taken from the house. There is no information if other pets were still inside.

"I believe the house is uninhabitable," he said.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

SANTA ANA

Woman accused of killing her baby to be arraigned

A La Habra woman accused of killing her 7-month-old son by throwing him from a fourth floor of a parking structure, will be arraigned Dec. 18.

After a Tuesday preliminary hearing, an Orange County judge found there was enough evidence for the charges to stand against 31-year-old Sonia Hermosillo.

Hermosillo has been charged with murder and child assault causing death.

Detectives alleged Sonia Hermosillo, 31, removed a protective helmet that Noe Medina Jr. wore because of a medical condition and tossed him off a parking structure at The Children's Hospital of Orange County on Aug. 22, 2011. He died two days later.

Investigators arrested Hermosillo when she drove back to the hospital where police were investigating the baby's fall.

Hermosillo's attorney had previously argued that she was mentally incompetent to stand trial. But a judge ruled last summer that Hermosillo was mentally capable of understanding the proceedings and ordered the trial process to begin.

Hermosillo's husband, Noe Medina, previously said she suffered from postpartum depression and had difficulty accepting their son who suffered from two treatable medical conditions.

Hermosillo is being held at the Central Women's Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

She faces up to 50 years to life in state prison if convicted of all the charges.

LOS ANGELES

Preliminary hearing set for Montebello doctor

The arraignment for a doctor accused of allegedly molesting eight female patients during routine medical exams has been re-scheduled for Jan. 31.

Arturo Vargas, a 5-year veteran of Kaiser Permanente, has denied the charges.

The allegations date back as far as 2007, according to court documents.

"I expect the preliminary hearings will last about two days," Deputy District Attorney Martha Carrillo said Tuesday.

Montebello police arrested the 41-year-old Vargas on Jan. 4 after an investigation into a woman's allegation that he sexually assaulted her during a July 11, 2011 exam at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Offices, 1550 Town Center Drive.

Vargas was released after posting $200,000 bail within hours of his arrest, according to county booking records.

Seven other woman later alleged they were sexually assaulted by the doctor.

Vargas was re-arrested Feb. 6 after the amended complaint was filed in court and released the following day after posting a $925,000 bail, records show.

According to the criminal complaint, Vargas was charged with multiple counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, sexual battery by fraud and sexual exploitation by a physician.

If convicted of all the charges, Vargas could face up to 104 years in state prison.